Insulating cap for electrical connectors



Oct. 15, 1963' w. G. SCHINSKE ETAL 3,107,273

INSULATING CAP FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS Filed July 8, 1960 2Sheets-Sheet 1 mmvrozgs. [MY/{am 6 Jeff/Isle flrfbar f: java/2:0

Oct. 15, 1963 w. e. SCHINSKE ETAL 3,107,273

INSULATING CAP FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS Filed July 8, 1960 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. (l/zY/iam 6. Scfimske flrt/mr E Swanson arfer4 [J/Zr 7? for/161;.

3,107,273 INSULATING CAP FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS William G. Schinskeand Arthur F. Swanson, Sycamore,

Ill., assignors to Ideal Industries, Inc, Sycamore, Ill.,

a corporation of Delaware Filed July 8, 1969, Ser. No. 42,463 4 Claims.(Cl. 174-138) This invention is in the field of connectors and isconcerned with an insulator including a cap made of insulating material,such as neoprene or plastic or the like, which is easy to apply and maybe used to cover a joint or connection made between a number of wires.

A primary object of the invention is a cap insulator having a flexiblestrap and retaining member which is easy to apply.

Another object is a cap type insulaor having a strap retainingarrangement which will not slide down over the cap.

Another object is a cap type insulator of the above type in which theretaining member does not tend to roll up in use.

Another object is a cap type insulator with a strap and retaining memberhaving increased flexibility so that it can be applied more easily.

Another object is a cap type insulator for electric connections whichwill not open up at the bottom.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the ensuing specificationand drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of the preferred form of the connector;

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the connector shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a section along line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective of a modified form;

FIGURE 6 is a top view of the FIGURE 5 form; and

FIGURE 7 is a section along line 77 of FIGURE 6.

In FIGURES 1-4 we have illustrated the preferred form in which the jointinsulator includes a main cap or cover member 10 which is made upprimarily of a somewhat cylindrical body portion 12 and a skirt 14 whichis also cylindrical and somewhat flared out at a junction 16. The mainbody portion may lbe closed by an end wall 18 which'has an inner recessor depression '26. We may provide an inwardly directed shoulder 22 orthe like disposed on the inside of the main cover mom-her roughly at thejunction or joint between the-main body portion in the skirt, althoughit might vary somewhat.

A strap 24 is connected to the skirt and extends from it, as shown inFIGURE 2, generally at right angles to the axis 26 of the cap. The strapmay be joined to the free edge 28 of the skirt, if desired, or it may beoffset somewhat.

At the outer end of the strap, or adjacent the outer end, a retainingmember in the form of a ring 30 is provided with a tab 32 beyond it. Asshown in FIGURE 4, the ring may have an enlargement or head 34 in theform somewhat of a thickened rim around the ring and we prefer that boththe upper and lower edges, as at 36 and 38, are square cornered orsomewhat at right angles, instead of rounded or otherwise, so that inuse the ring will not tend to roll up or invert itself when applied.

It will be noted in FIGURE 2 that the strap varies in width between thecap and ring and we prefer that the strap join the cap generally tangentto the circle of the free edge 28 of the skirt and tapered inwardlysomewhat to a throat 40 and then widen out again to join the ringtangentially to its outer free edge. This is to say that the outerdiameter of the ring is greater than the width of the strap throat as isthe outside diameter of the ined fil rate set rice 2 skirt. It shouldalso be noted that the strap throat is a good bit closer to the ringthan to the cap and this is important in adding flexibility to the strapwhen it is stretched so that the ring can be pulled over the top of thecap. The tab 32 projecting beyond the ring may have a raised lip or rim42 if desired.

We provide one or more abutments on the side surface of the cap which,in this case, take the form of three somewhat equally spaced ribs, 44 inthe center and 46 on the outside. It will be noted that the ribs are allon the side of the cap next to the strap 24. Also, all of the ribsterminate or stop short of the top or end wall of the cap to provideabutments 48, all of which are underout. It will also be noted inFIGURES l and. 3 that the abutments are staggered, meaning that the riblengths vary, the center rib 44- rising the highest or being thelongest, while the side ribs 46 are somewhat shorter. The end surfacesor abutments 46 on the side ribs are somewhat slanted so that they slopeaway from the center rib, as shown in FIGURE 3. It should be noted thatthe ribs extend all the way down and, in fact, merge somewhat into theskirt, but nevertheless are visible along the surface of the skirt untilthey flow smoothly into the strap. This additionally reinforces theconnection between the strap and skirt as Well as providing easymolding.

A connector of this type is intended for the larger combination of wiresizes. Accordingly, the main cap or cover member must be correspondinglylarge. The strap must have sufficient flexibility so that when it waspulled between the wires and the ring is stretched up over the top, thestrap will stretch sufficiently to let the ring pass over the end wall18. At the same time the main body portion must be long enough to houseand fully cover the stripped ends of the wires and if the ring is freeto slide down, the strap between the wires will be too loose for a tightcompact insulating joint.

In the present arrangement, when the ring is stretched up over the topof the cap, it will rest and be locked against the undercut abutmentsi=8. Also, the ring will fit across the cap on a diagonal or dihedralagainst all three ahutrnents. Where we have shown the abutments asseparate in the form of ribs, they could be integral or we could useonly one. To get the ring over the top of thecap, the strap must bestretched somewhat and we position the narrow throat 40, which has themost stretchability, closer to the ring because it is this portion ofthe strap that will be stretched. The portion of the strap next to thecap will drag against the wires and skirt and will resist stretching.

In FIGURES 5-7 we show a modified form in which the cap St has a mainbody portion 52 joined to a skirt 54 by a junction or offset 56. The endwall 58 of the cap may have an inner depression 60 and a shoulder 62 maybe provided to interlock with the connection. As before, the strap 64-is joined to the free edge of the skirt and is enlarged at its outer endaround a ring 66 which has a tab 63 on the far side. The strap may ormay not have a throat or narrow portion, but we prefer that it besomewhat thinned out, relative to the diameter of the skirt and ring, sothat it will stretch. The ring or retaining member and strap may bepulled between the wires after the cap has been slipped over the joint.Then the ring may be stretched up over the top of the main body portion52 and allowed to slip down. The offset 56 should have sufiicient angle,indicated at 79, to the axis of the cap 72, so that when the ring slidesdown against it, it wont slide past. In a sense, the offset is ashoulder or abutment, but it should not be a right angle 01' undercutsurface since this would complicate molding. The FIGURES 5-7 form doesnot have external ribs. However, the offset is sufficiently obtuse toprevent the ring from slipping by down the skirt. The FIGURES 5-7 formis intended for the of the invention member on the other end, in theform of-5a ring .or-the.

like, is provided so that after the cap.- has been slipped over aconnection made between the stripped ends of a plurality of wires,the'stnap and'rin g may be pulled between the wires and then the ringslipped up overthe't-op of the cap.

In the FIGURES 5-7 form, the ofiset joining the main body of the cap andthe skirt is sufiiciently obtuse such that the ring will rest against itand will not slip farther. The main purpose of the ring is as aretaining member, and it does very little if any insulating. Patent No.Re. 23,649, issued April 21, 1953, the retaining member was in the formof a second cap somewhat smaller than the main cap. But this has thedisadvantage that it was more difficult to mold and required a doublepin gate arrangement, one in the top center of each cap with the plasticmeeting in the strap. In the present arrangement, we merely provide onegate which may be in the top of the main cap and the material will flowinto the mold and out through the strap and ring.

Also, the ring has much greater flexibility and, everything else beingequal, we can stretch asho-rter strap and ring combination. We mayprovide square corners on the inside of the ringin FIGURE 7 to preventit from rolling up as it slides down the body portion of the cap.

hold a larger combination of Wires. To get the ring over In prior U.S.

the top of the cap would require a somewhat longer strap.

and possibly larger ring, We provide the reduced width. throat sectionin the strap closer to the ring than to the.

cap so that the strap will stretch; The flexibility of the ring itselfhelps. When the cap has been slipped down.

over the connection and the strap pulled between the wires and thering'slipped over the top of the cap, the greater length of the capwould make the joint too loose ar'ound the othenwise open mouthof theskirt if the ring slipped The particular connection and how it is madeis not. important to this invention. It might bernade. by merelytwisting the wires together, as in US. Patent No. Re. 23,649, or itmight be made by a spring or coil, as in US. Patent No. 2,885,771,issued May '12, 1959. Or it might be a sleeve slipped over the wires andcrimped against them, as in US. Patent No. 2,810,897, issued October 22,1957. But it is important that the cap be of an insulatingmaterial, andwe prefer that the strap and retaining member, the ring, be integrallymolded.

Whereas we have shown and desoribedthepreferred form and suggested onemodification of theinvention, it should be understood that suitableadditional modifications, substitutions, alterations" and changes may bemade without departing. from. the. inventions fundamental theme. Forexample, we have shown the ring as circular or annular, but it might besomewhat oval or elliptical or otherwise. should be broadly interpretedto include any annular or ring shape or closed strap or binding member;With these and other modifications in mind, it is wished that theinvention be unrestricted, except as by the appended claims.

We claim: 1. An insulator for covering a joint madebetween the strippedends of two or more electrical Wires, including the strap adjacentthe'end thereof spaced from the cap such that when the strap is pulledbetween-the wires, the

opening formation may be mounted over the topofthe cap, and an abutmenton the side of the cap generally adjacent the top thereof to engage theopening formation and proportioned to hold it generally adjacent the topof the cap with the strap generally in a taut condition.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that the abutmentincludes a plurality of ciroumferentially spaced longitudinally disposedribs along the side of the cap.

3. The structure of claim 2 further characterized in that the upper endsof the ribs terminate in abutments which are staggered in height sothatthe retainingmember will rest on a diagonal across the cap.-

4. The structure of claim 3 further characterized in that the abutmentson the upper ends of the ribs are underout. V I

References Cited inthefileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re.23,649 D. 183,969 Holmes -1 Nov. 25, 1958 2,036,561 Barrett Apr. 7, 19367 2,789,717 Demke Apr, 23,1957

" FOREIGN PATENTS- Accordingly, as used herein, the term ring SigmanApr. 21, 1953 Canada Dec. 30', 1958,

1. AN INSULATOR FOR COVERING A JOINT MADE BETWEEN THE STRIPPED ENDS OFTWO OR MORE ELECTRICAL WIRES, INCLUDING A CAP MADE OF AN INSULATINGMATERIAL, A STRAP CONNECTED TO THE CAP AND EXTENDING FROM IT, AN OPENINGFORMATION IN THE STRAP ADJACENT THE END THERE OF SPACED FROM THE CAPSUCH THAT WHEN THE STRAP IS PULLED BETWEEN THE WIRES, THE OPENINGFORMATION MAY BE MOUNTED OVER THE TOP OF THE CAP, AND AN ABUTMENT ON THESIDE OF THE CAP GENERALLY ADJACENT THE TOP THEREOF TO ENGAGE THE OPENINGFORMATION AND PROPORTIONED TO HOLD IT GENERALLY ADJACENT THE TOP OF THECAP WITH THE STRAP GENERALLY IN A TAUT CONDITION.